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PUFFERFISH

The puffer fish and the pointed puffer fish are at home in most tropical waters. They are slow swimmers and compensate for this disadvantage by being able to move like helicopters. They can change direction in a matter of seconds, sideways, upwards, downwards and even backwards, which is rare for fish.

The name pufferfish is due to the fact that they can inflate like balloons when in danger. They do this by pumping water into a side chamber of the stomach. On the surface, they even inflate with air.

The pufferfish have a beaked jaw with two tooth plates. They can also use it to cut up hard-shelled animals that they find while foraging in coral reefs, sand and rubble.

The pufferfish have a scaleless, tough skin. Pufferfish produce one of the strongest toxins. The tetrodotoxin is found in the intestines, genital organs and skin.

In Japan, pufferfish meat is a delicacy. If not prepared properly, the poison is fatal to humans. For this reason, only trained fugu chefs are allowed to prepare the food.